given the president's support among african-americans, latinos and other voters, governor romney needs to keep the president to 37%, no more than 38% of the white vote. if the president's cracking 47% of the white vote, that's a formula for an obama victory. and where are the key big battleground states? there are several in the midwest. ohio, iowa, wisconsin. look at the race in the midwest. obama, 52%, romney, 43%. the president is winning that part of the country. out west in denver, colorado, nevada, among the battlegrounds out here in the west. ten-point lead in the west for the president. 54% to 44%. the white vote and if you look regionally, there are things that give the president's team some optimism. >> if you're the romney campaign looking at these new poll numbers, what should give the romney folks some optimism? >> reporter: one of the reasons we are back in a closer race, a statistical dead heat nationally f you go state by state, it's a little different, this number, governor romney has improved his standing among independents. he leads by eight points among those who de